SOCPA 2005 sections 132 to 138 Designated Area restrictions around Parliament Square repealed as of 30th March 2012

2. The day appointed for the coming into force of the following provisions of the Act is 19th December 2011--
(a)section 141(1) (demonstrations in vicinity of Parliament: repeal of SOCPA 2005 provisions) insofar as it repeals section 137 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005(1);
(b)section 142 (controlled area of Parliament Square);
(c)section 143 (prohibited activities in controlled area of Parliament Square);
(d)section 144 (directions under section 143: further provision);
(e)section 145 (power to seize property);
(f)section 146 (power of court on conviction);
(g)section 147 (authorisation for operation of amplified noise equipment);
(h)section 148 (meaning of "authorised officer" and "responsible authority");
(i)section 149 (effect of Part on byelaws);
(j)section 150(1) and (3) (powers of seizure etc under certain regulations and byelaws);
(k)section 150(2) (powers of seizure etc under certain regulations and byelaws) insofar as it relates to byelaws made by local authorities in England.

This Commencement Order brings into force sections 142 to 149 and section 150 (except for section 150(2) insofar as it relates to local authorities in Wales) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 on 19th December 2011. It also brings into force the repeal of section 137 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 on 19th December 2011.

The repeal of sections 132 to 136 and 138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 is brought into force on 30th March 2012 as is the transitional provision in section 141(2) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act.

So currently, apart from the ban on loudspeakers (SOCPA 2005 section 137) , both the old SOCPA 2005 Designated Area lawand the new Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 laws apply !

What is so special about the repeal of just the loudspeaker ban, that it is commenced before the rest of the repeals ?

Why was this not all brought in over one day, as soon as the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 got Royal Assent back in September 2011 ?

Hints and Tips for Whistleblowers and Protest Organisers

The hints and tips below are just as important to anybody organising a peaceful Protest near to Parliament Square, as they are to other people who might come under UK Government or Multinational Corpotation:

Please take the appropriate precautions if you are planning to blow the whistle on shadowy and powerful people in Government or commerce, and their dubious policies. The mainstream media and bloggers also need to take simple precautions to help preserve the anonymity of their sources e.g. see Spy Blog's Hints and Tips for Whistleblowers - or use this easier to remember link: http://ht4w.co.uk

This man was one of the very first people arrested in Parliament Square on 1st August 2005, but he has apparently disappeared.

Silent Protest - a web photo gallery "encouraging people to stage a virtual, government un-sanctioned protest. All you need to do is get a picture of yourself, or your friends, within the protest free zone. Assume the pose (hand over mouth), aim and click."

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repeal-SOCPA.info - useful background briefings for the Managing Protest around Parliament public consultation, and model letters to MPs etc.

About this blog

This web blog has been set up as an information resource and discussion area (please be polite in the comments) to help organise resistance to the restrictions on peaceful democratic demonstrations and protests, which have been enacted by law, in a wide Designated Area around Parliament Square in London.

It appears that in order to remove the peace protestor Brian Haw, who had been demonstrating continuously in Parliament Square, day and night, for over 10 years,(literally until his death in June 2011), the NuLabour Government overreacted, and granted themselves draconian and arbitrary powers, which affected the rights of all individual British citizens to lobby their Members of Parliament, or to walk in a vast Designated Area wearing a "political slogan" T-shirt, badge, rubber wristband etc. without first seeking prior written permission from the Police.

This is an affront to democracy and is not justified even on any spurious "climate of fear" alleged "security" grounds.

N.B. SOCPA ss128-132 is now repealed and replaced with less restictive laws, but there are still some peculiar restrictions and bylaws on protests around Parliament Square.

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Please feel free to email us your news, views or suggestions about this blog, and about the issues it highlights.

A low volume e-mail list (with a daily digest option) has been set up for those of you who /want to share ideas about how the restrictions on demonstrations without prior written permission etc. can be resisted legally and peacefully:

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Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 was rushed through, "on the nod", with minimal debate, during the undemocratic "wash up" process at the end of the last Parliament when the General Election had been called.

The bulk of the Act deals with the setting up of the Serious Organised Crime Agency, but there are also sections such as:

From 1st January 2006 this section makes any offence, no matter how minor, into an arrestable offence. Arrests by the police these days can mean taking 10 fingerprints and two palm prints, a DNA tissue sample and processing it into a digital "DNA fingerprint", forcing you to remove any facial coverings, (even those worn for religous purposes) to take photographs of your face etc. All of these items of personal data can then be retained forever, even if you are not charged, or any charges against you are dropped, or if you go to court and are found not guilty.

Section 128 Trespass on a Designated Site - e.g. Crown Property or National Security

Sections 132 to 138 Demonstrations in the vicinity of Parliament - the controversial restrictions in detail.

The Public Whip website has details of how the Members of the House of Commons voted on these controversial clauses.

Brian Haw

Veteran peace protestor Brian Haw was physically camped out in Parliament Square since 2nd June 2001 until his death in June 2011

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 sections 132 to 138 Designatd Area law seem to have been written to try to specifically suppress his protests, although, through sheer incompetence, the Government found that Brian Haw himself was initially exempt from some of it, since his protest started before the stupidly worded repressive legislation came into force, although a later High Court Appeal, at public exepnse, did apply the law to him.

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 section 132 to 138 have been repealed by the
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 Part 3
on the Statute Book, but not yet Commenced by Order). This replaces the Designated Area with a much smaller Controlled Area - just Parliament Square Gardens and the surrounding pavements.

Mass Lone Demonstrations

Comedian Mark Thomas's website has details of Mass Lone Demonstrations which legally show up the absurdity of this law, and the bureaucracy involved in enforcing it. These multiple independent one person demonstrations take place on the third Wednesday of the month, from 5pm - 7.30pm within the Designated Area (often in Parliament Square, but not exclusively so)

Meet on the second Wednesday of each month outside Charing Cross police station (located at Agar Street, London, WC2N 4JP - see the map) any time between: 5.30 pm -7.30pm to hand in your Metropolitan Police SOCPA forms (download the optional Word or PDF forms from the Metroplitan Police) or your own personal Written Applications for Prior Permission.

Website Links

Home Office - "Not fit for purpose. It is inadequate in terms of its scope, it is inadequate in terms of its information technology, leadership, management, systems and processes" - Home Secretary John Reid. 23rd May 2006.

Booking Parliament Square - Greater London Authority booking forms, terms and conditions for filming and photography for Parliament Square - "The GLA does not grant permission for demonstration, rallies and public meetings on Parliament Square Gardens".

Charity Sweet - who has been harrassed for reading a copy of the Independent newspaper outside Downing Street etc.

BBC Travel Jam Cams

BBC Radio London has some links to Traffic Monitoring CCTV cameras, which they publish every 5 or 10 minutes, not usually in real time.

Whenever there is an "incident" or a march or demonstration, these online images are deliverately censored i.e. "not available for operational reasons", This is despite the images being of too low a resolution to identify anybody, and, the effect of not diverting traffic away from the incident, which should be the whole point of the online Traffic Cam images in the first place.